Improved washing-machine



UNITED STATES 'REUBEN HOOVER, 'OF BOONSBOROUGH, IOWA.

HVIP'ROVED WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,224, dated October 30, 1866.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN HOOVER, of'- Boonsborough, in thel county of Boon and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Wash-Tub; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description thereof, ret'erence being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

The nature of my.invention consists in attaching to a common wash-tub a device by which clothes of any description may be neatly and successfully washed.

It more particularly consists in the cover or li-d of the machine, which is provided with rubbers or corrugations, and made to rotate alternately back and forth by swinging or reciprocating motion, which is caused by a strap or cord passing around the shaft, and the ends secured to the cross-pieces of the frame.

It also consists in providing the lid with a hinge, so that access maybe had to the clothes Without removing the same froln the tub.

Various devices have been introduced for the purpose of saving the labor of washing; but serious objections have been urged against them-some forinjuring the clothes, and others for being cumbersome and not performing the functions for which they were designed.

By my invention I obviate and overcome all the difliculties and objections so strongly urged against those that have been introduced heretofore, for the reason that it canv be regulated at will, so as to work hard or light, as the nature of the fabric may require.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I Will proceed to de scribeits construction and operation.

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional eleva-tion taken from the line X X. Fig. 2 is a top-plan view of my improved wash-tub. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

A represents the frame of my improved wash-tub, which may bemade of wood, and consists of four inclined posts, which meet at the top, and joined by a hinge at each side of the frame; lbut I do not conine myself to 'a common hinge to join the top of the posts, as

`a hinge might be used, so that `the two sections of the frame may be detached on any joint used, so that the lowerends of the posts may be set out at any desired angle. Each v two of the said posts are secured together by suitable cross-pieces a a a a. At the top of the frame is a rock-shaft, F, hung on suitable bearings, to which are two pendent rods, which extend down and are attached to the tub by means of lugs or pins attached to the tub, and pass through holes in the pendants B B. O is the tub, in the bottom of which are corrugations radiating from the center, and extend to the circumference. This tub O may be made of wood or other suitable material, and of ordinary form and construction. D is Athe cover, the bottom of which is also provided with corrugations, inthe same form and manner as before described in the bottom of the tub.

E is a shaft, also made of wood, in each end of which is a journal, the lower end of which has a bearing in the bottom of the tub, and the upper end in the rock-shaft F at the top of the frame. About or near the center ofthe said shaft E is a long pulley, G, around which the band or cord H works, the respective ends of which are secured to the cross-pieces of the frame.

It Will here be observed that the shaft E passes through the lid of the tub by a square mortise, and that the lid is allowed to move freely up and down on the said shaft, for the purpose of accommodating itself to the amount of fabrics in the tub, and to give access to the clothes for wringing the same.

I is a long lever, which may be attached and detached to and from the side of the tub by means of a hook and eye, as seen at J, Fig. l. K K are loop-handles, whichv aresecured to the tub for the purpose of handling and movA ing the same.

The operation is easy and simple, consist= ing only in putting into the tub any fabric desired 5 then, by aregular reciprocatingmotion of the lever I, produced by the hand, an alternate rotary motion is imparted to the shaft and cover of the tub, caused by the strap around the pulley, which, it will be seen, has several turns. Now, as the lid is allowed to move freely up and down on the shaft, it adjusts itself readily to the amount of fabrics in the tub, which are Washed by this machine rapidly and perfectly, and Without injury.

It will be understood that'J my invention is equally adapted for making butter, as itl may oe successfully used for a churn.

Having thus described my invention, what claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is-

The revolving corrugated jointed cover D, fitting loosely on the shaft E, in combination with the tub, arranged to operate with the rock-shaft F and strap H, substantially as described, as and for the purpose specified.

BEUBEN HOOVER.

Wtnessem J. G. MILLER, E. S. WATERBURY. 

